Path of Life
by Nowhere Man2
Summary: Kinda a mix of both Zoids, mainly Chaotic Century. Rated Pg-13 for margin of error. My first posted fic, so be kind, or else, PSYKE!


Disclaimer: All the Zoids stuff belongs to whoever made it up, not me. I only write this because I thought it would be cool to get out this fanfic. ***  
The howling wind quieted somewhat as I stumbled around a dune. I pushed up my goggles, revealing my gray/green eyes. I pulled off the long scarf wrapped around the rest of my head, showing my close-cut, brown hair; and the red mark that ran across my left cheek. Wearing the goggles and scarf wasn't too comfortable, but it beat having sand grains hurled against your skin.  
  
I settled down, and pulled out a hand-held game. When a sand storm this strong blew up, it was better to find shelter, and wait it out. This was especially good advice to me, I couldn't make headway walking against the wind, and the hoverboard I had was too unstable in such weather.  
  
Unfortunately, I had learned this last bit of information the hard way; when a storm blew up and I tried to make it home on my board. A stray gust sent me toppling, face-first into the sand. In the end, I was lucky; I had only strained my neck, and bruised a pair of ribs.  
  
In a town like this, it was the common activity for the little kids to be learning to ride their hoverboards, and the teens would start to use them for tricks and competitions. Our town was one of the smaller ones fairly close to the border between Imperial and Republican territory. My father fought on the Republic's side in the Great War that ended just about the time I was born. That was fifteen years ago, now I was only worried about getting at least most of my homework done soon enough that I could get to the stands and practice.  
  
The storm calmed for a moment, and I looked up the incline of the dune. A slight glint near the top caught my eye. I hopped on my board and sped up the dune. I looked out to where to the storm had come from; another cloud of dust was coming toward me. I replaced my goggles and scarf, and returned to what I saw.  
  
It appeared to me to be a decorative fairing on a Zoid. I would have left it there, but the black surface wasn't rusting, and it appeared freshly painted. I began to dig as the storm hit again, as soon as I found the canopy, I focused on it. It was easy to uncover the side out of the wind, and I got about half of the top uncovered, but I had to wait for the storm to pass before I could get the rest of the canopy uncovered.  
  
I waited for about twenty minutes before the storm died out completely, it surprised me by how short it lasted. I shrugged, and uncovered the rest of the top and the other side. Near the canopy seam on the right side I found the cockpit release handle, and pulled. The canopy opened with no problem.  
  
I smiled, and slid my hoverboard in the niche behind the seat. I brushed most of the sand from my clothes and clambered into the cockpit. I then really found out how my great enthusiasm for learning about warfare had now truly paid off.  
  
I had read almost any non-fiction book on Zoids there was. I also focused on the control layouts of the mass-produced Zoids. Scanning the cockpit controls, I figured this was related to the Republican designed Shield Liger, as the basic layout was identical, but there were a few slight differences.  
  
The Liger growled softly then. The cockpit closed and the main generator activated, and I hadn't done anything. I didn't mind this, and I activated the thrusters, they only got the Liger to budge. Then I got its legs to move, and the sand began to slip away. The next thing I knew, The Liger was loping across the open desert with full thrusters.  
  
I killed the thrusters and brought the Liger to a skidding halt. I sat there for a moment and then I decided to look the Liger over. I unstrapped myself and opened the canopy. Jumping down from the cockpit I saw why the control panel was different. This wasn't a Shield Liger, but it was a Blade Liger.  
  
"Damn." I said in amazement.  
  
The Liger rumbled again, strangely I could swear I knew what he was saying. He was kind of saying, "Well, what did you expect?"  
  
I looked up to the Liger's head-section. "I feel that you should get a name other than just being called Blade Liger." I said.  
  
Liger rumbled in agreement. I thought of several names, and voiced them to Liger, but he rejected them all.  
  
"How about, Night Cutter?" I asked. To which Liger rumbled happily. I smiled and climbed into Cutter's cockpit and turned for home. Only then did I think about how my parents and my little brother and sister would think of me bringing a Blade Liger home. I winced as I heard what my parents would probably say. Oh, well it was too late now. Cutter would be here to stay.  
A half-hour later I pulled Cutter up to my home. Luckily my parents had recently bought this house that was fairly distanced from the rest of the town. I had simply taken a route that would keep me out of earshot and over the horizon of the town. I wanted to keep Cutter private as long as possible.  
  
My family had been drawn outside by Cutter's footfalls and stood near the door of the house. I brought Cutter to a stop and climbed down to the ground. The whole time of which I was being asked questions by my parents.  
  
"What the hell?" Mom said.  
  
"I found this Blade Liger out in the desert. He has no owner it appears, and besides, he is really attached to me." I said.  
  
"Oh, really?" Dad said skeptically.  
  
"Yea." I said, getting to the ground.  
  
Dad stared at me and finally threw his arms up in frustration. "I don't know where you got it, but you can keep it! Find out how much trouble a Zoid really is!"  
  
Night Cutter growled at my father. I looked Cutter and gave him a glare, then turned to my father. "Night Cutter doesn't like you saying that he'll be trouble." I said.  
  
He looked at Cutter for a moment, then went back inside. Mom followed closely behind, calling to my siblings to come with her. I shook my head, and turned back to Cutter. "That wasn't very polite. You're lucky Dad can't understand you. Even I can't say that about other people under that roof."  
  
Cutter rumbled an "Oh, well." as I climbed back up to the cockpit. I leaned back in the seat, and looked up into the sky. It was just starting to turn a darker blue, with no clouds on the horizon. The sun set in brilliant red and gold show. Then the sky grew its velvety black, and all the stars could be seen.  
  
I looked across the sky, at the constellations. I pointed them all out to Cutter. Soon, I ran out of constellations, and then I just lay there. Cutter scared me as he lay down and yawned cavernously. I listened to the sounds of the summer bugs, they had popped out too early this year, or maybe it meant something. I muttered something as sleep overtook me.  
  
***  
Author: Okay!! R+R, if you have any flames, send them to Pluto (my cat/industrial paper shredder).  
  
Pluto: ROWWWR!!  
  
Author: Away! Away! Vile thing from, um, Mary Poppens land! 


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